Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Colombia
Colombia: Mean body mass index (BMI) in women was 26.6 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Colombia, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2016, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Colombia stood at 26.6. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Colombia peaked at 26.6 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 22.5, in 1975.
That places Colombia 77th out of 190 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Mean body mass index (BMI) in women in Colombia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 22.5 | — |
| 1976 | 22.7 | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 22.8 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 23 | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 23.1 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 23.2 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 23.4 | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 23.5 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 23.6 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 23.8 | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 23.9 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 24 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 24.1 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 24.3 | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 24.4 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 24.5 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 24.6 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 24.7 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 24.9 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 25 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 25.1 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 25.2 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 25.3 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 25.4 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 25.5 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 25.5 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 25.6 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 25.7 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 25.8 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 25.8 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 25.9 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 25.9 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 26 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 26.1 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 26.1 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 26.2 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 26.2 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 26.3 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 26.4 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 26.4 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 26.5 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 26.6 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.82 | 22.5 | 23.1 | 5 |
| 1980s | 23.82 | 23.2 | 24.4 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.02 | 24.5 | 25.5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.84 | 25.5 | 26.1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.37 | 26.2 | 26.6 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More gender data for Colombia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 10,499 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.3937 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 45,238 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 45,238 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 339,895 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 354,522 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 343,649 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 358,222 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 346,714 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Colombia?
- Mean body mass index (bmi) in women in Colombia was 26.6 in 2016, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 26.6 in 2016.
- What is the lowest mean body mass index (bmi) in women recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.5 in 1975.
- How does Colombia rank for mean body mass index (bmi) in women?
- Colombia ranks 77th out of 190 countries with data for 2016.
- Is mean body mass index (bmi) in women rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Mean body mass index (BMI) in women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Body mass index (BMI) is measured as a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by her height (in meters), squared. The WHO define a BMI <=18.5 as 'underweight'; 18.5 to <25 as 'normal/healthy'; 25.0 to <30 as 'overweight'; and >30.0 as 'obese'.